At the turn of the last century, Iowa bicycle makers August and Fred Duesenberg tinkered with gasoline engines and by 1913 Duesenberg Automobile Motors was manufacturing cars. E.L.Cord, who also owned Auburn bought Duesenberg in 1926. The Model J Duesenberg was a luxury car built from 1928-37. More famous people bought the Model J than that of any other American car. They had a 420 cu in straight 8 engine. Walker-LaGrande produced just three of these remarkable Model J Convertible Coupes, this the only supercharged version. Instead of the convertible top being cumbersome and difficult to operate, the top on these cars were easy to detach and retract, all with the help of a hand crank positioned inside the car, the entire top disappeared underneath a flush-mounted metal lid. In an instant the car could transform from coupe to a modern open-top convertible.